SydneytoWaco

I was interviewed at the Sydney Consulate yesterday and the couple sitting behind me were livid because the consulate was using an exchange rate of $0.52 US cents to our one dollar. So although they had enough assets 3 months ago they no longer did and would have to either save more money or get a sponsor back in the states.

Just wanted to say hello and offer anyone waiting for their K1 some encouragement. My American fiance and I started the K1 application at the end of May 2008 and just yesterday, the 18th of November 2008, I was accepted for the K1 visa at my interview at the Sydney Consulate.

Thanks to all the help, information, guides and flow charts etc on this website the process has been incredibly painless and has taken a total of less than six months. I moved quickly on the paperwork whenever something was required from me but I could have done it even faster (almost a month faster) if I had been even better organised.

So now I am just waiting for my K1 visa to come to me in the mail, then I book a one way ticket for mid January 2009 and I give my work my notice of resignation.

I do have one question though if anybody knows: once I fly to the U.S., get married and apply for the AOS, can I study at a U.S. university whilst I am awaiting the AOS?

I want to ban the book 'Ultramarathon Man' because he makes me look lazy in comparison.

What book would you ban?

My fiance and I just got the NOA2 so we are both pretty excited! Was wondering what you Aussies (or Kiwis for that matter) do to try and stay in touch with fellow Australians. I love the US and am looking forward to eventually living there but having spent months at a time there before I have to admit that the accents kind of drive me a little nuts and I long to hear some 'normal' sounding people. I am going to be in Waco TX if that helps. How do you Aussies cope with the similar but different feeling that the US evokes? (in me at least)

I mean I love basketball and MMA (sports wise) and I am going to a similar climate in east Texas so it isn't exactly a shock to the system... but I wouldn't mind keeping in touch with some Aussies if just for the laid back attitude, the lack of religiousness and the general irreverence.

You are still comparing apples to oranges. Wearing a US military uniform while in an Arab country and during an extremely unpopular US war/occupation of an Arab country is a quite different matter than a civilian citizen in her own country wearing religious-related clothing. Or can't you see that ? The point is -- you can wear Western-style clothing and be obviously American in many Middle Eastern countries without any discrimination from shop owners, etc.

Early 90s would be the first gulf war and that was a war of liberation (expelling Iraq from Kuwait) so hardly an unpopular war for the Kuwaitis at least. Here is a similar analogy: uniformed Indonesian soldiers on leave in Sydney (Australia). Although Australia and Indonesia have a cordial relationship on the international stage, Indonesia has been responsible (from the admittedly biased Australian perspective of course) for government sponsored massacres in East Timor which have been widely reported here and have resulted in a less than flattering public perception of the Indonesian military.

Yet their uniformed soldiers can walk around the streets of Sydney in numbers without drawing more than curious looks, so I don't think the American uniformed soldier can be overly criticised for receiving a less than hospitable welcome in the Middle East.

As for people alluding to Texas being more of a hateful place I have spent a total of about 6-7 months living there and if anything my accent only meant I was more warmly welcomed. Oh and worrying about having a gun pulled on you in Texas? You needn't worry, I am much more cautious here in Australia because here only the criminals and police are armed and the criminals know that and take advantage of it. In Texas I learnt quickly that the old saying 'An armed society is a polite society' has a real truth to it.

Fact is though, that at LEAST until we discover other intelligent life out in the universe somewhere, we will continue to discriminate against each other on the most superficial of grounds. So don't hold your breaths. Would I say something personally? In this particular situation? Yes but politely. Getting angry and yelling and calling people names never solved anything, but being respectful and calm and reasonable may help that other person to get the message. Nobody likes being yelled at.

Thanks again ZeeNusah.

With her current student income earned as a teaching assistant and my assets, cash and shares, we would have enough to qualify still. So I think the best course of action will be to try and have them accept her letter of employment (when she gets it in August) as well as her financial records as you stated above. I will also bring with me to the interview her tax returns and my financial records as that will also meet the necessary amount.

I just hope they accept the former because it easily clears the minimum needed whereas her current student income and my assets is not half as impressive!

Thank you for both of your replies. I understand that she will need her letter of employment from the employer once she has started working there and I am confident that if we send our application in late April, as we plan to do, that should leave enough time for her to start working.

I am however failing to find anywhere that states that you need past tax returns to prove your income. Wouldn't a letter of employment and some pay checks/copies of bank records showing the depositing of a steady income be sufficient?

If there are instructions stating that she needs her tax return to reflect her income can you please point me to that.

I am new to this forum but I want to thank you all in advance for the information you have compiled here. It has been invaluable in the preparation of my fiance and I in regards to our K1 visa.

The only issue we are concerned with is this: She has been a graduate student, and before that an undergraduate student, since she left high school and thus has only earned about $12K in the past year as a teaching assistant. She was recently, March 2008, offered a job which she has signed an acceptance for and returned to her employer. The job is well and truly above the $17500 poverty line and is with a steady employer (a university). The offer is genuine and money isn't an issue however as I stated before she will not start working there until August 2008 and we would like to start applying for the K1 before I return home (22 April 2008).

Will this offer of employment alone suffice as exceeding the poverty line?